17.4.06

wow we made it to monday!

sooo, Easter is over... and praise the Lord no one got promoted to glory under our care (although there were a few K.O's and some sore boys rude bits- they got a bit silly on the last night and had pain dares) and there were no extra days slipped in without us knowing. And, I gotta say that as far as the Love revolution goes, I think we got in on it! The youth were amazing- we sent them off to work at childrens homes, the Maori mission house, old folks homes, hostels, the hospital, all sorts, doing gardening, painting, visiting. And they got stuck right on in! Yesterday we had a massive extravaganza at Aotea Sq for the community with bouncy castles, candy floss, easter eggs, Moped reggae band, and loads of people came along- including a huge majority of Auckland street people, and everywhere you looked were our young people with their rEVOLution tee's on getting amongst it- chatting with people, playing touch with the homeless crew. As the youth shared this morning about how their lives have been impacted through these connections, and how they are gonna reach out in loving action in Jesus name in their own communities, Brenton and I were reminded about how critical it is to listen to Gods voice and obey it. Doing Easter this way, in the city, with a mission focus, was so strange for so many, and we recieved a lot of angst about it. But you know, Im so sure, especially now, that it was exactly the ticket. It would be rad if we have changed the look of Easter for Aucklands youth! That this is now the new model- Easter is surely the perfect impetus for engaging with the community in word and deed.
So from an overall perspective I feel so stoked... but also had a huge conviction over the weekend too. Our TY, Lyndon Buckingham, did the speak yesterday morning, about living in light of the resurection... and as he spoke it was as if every word was an arrow aimed for my heart, convicting me with every blow, about how I still hold so much of myself back from God. Shivers, on Friday night I did the talk about only when you give your life away do we ever receive the real (full and meaningful) life Jesus was on about, but yesterday it hit me that I come no where near to giving my life away in His name... no where near. I was so ashamed. I attempted to lay myself all on the altar yesterday... but I am horribly aware that those revelationary decisions become so easily ethereal.
Staying at Tim's parents tonight, our house is a mess- had to rip all the floors up cos of the flooding. Popped in on Friday, during a downtime of camp, to pick up some stuff for my speak, bumped into Tom, the dreaded landlord. He layed into me ay, called us f^&*ing gypsies for not having net curtains. (??!) He didn't get that camp was our priority over the floors for the weekend.... we have started looking for a new flat. He is too scary I think.
V. tired, well up for a sleep on a bed- what wonderful creations. Sleeping on the floor made me feel every morning as if foot high elves had crept in every night yeilding hammers and had bashed every muscle. I think those feelings mean you are getting a bit vintage, does it?
Oh, one wonderful bonus from the weekend is that I have 40 young guys who can empathise with my complaints about Tims sleep talking (sorry, verbal diahrea) as every morning they would share stories of him sitting up and acosting the room with "Whose turn is it to read next?" and things like that. hahaha. what a sausage.

No comments: